1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with a polymeric composition for friction elements having remarkable properties with regard to temperature and contact with water. Although the invention will be described in more details with relation to brake pad or brake linings, it should be understood that it may be used in any application in which friction properties have to remain stable with increasing temperature and under wet conditions, such as brakes and clutches for vehicles and machine tools. The brake pad is one example in which heat and water are of a prime importance due to a possible overheating if the braking action is applied for an extended period of time, during which moreover water may come in contact with the pads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Preparations or compositions for friction elements for use in brake pads and other applications are known. One example is a mixture in which a phenolic resin and an organopolysiloxane or silicone resin are mixed with a crosslinking agent as described for instance in EP-0 456 490 and JP-63-251 452.
In the former document a catalyst is used during the preparation, which consists of an organic compound conventionally used in the manufacturing of silicone rubber, such as stannous oleate and tin naphtenate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,951 is citing other organic metallic salts which can be employed as catalysts in the transesterification between a phenolic resin and an organopolysiloxane. Tetrabutyl titanate, tetra isopropyl titanate and butyl polytitanate are mentioned among others. Zirconates are also known as catalysts for transesterification.
However, according to IR analysis, this mixture appears to be basically a simple mixture of the original phenolic resin and the product of the homoreaction between the silicone resin and itself. This means in particular that the reaction involved do not lead to specific interactions of the phenolic hydroxy groups with the silicone, most of the phenolic groups remaining as such, i.e. as free phenolic groups. Hydrophilic properties are therefore retained together with a relatively high capacity of water absorption, which in turn is affecting strongly the friction characteristics of the product.
In our co-pending unpublished European patent application no 98420024,6, an improved polymeric composition for friction elements is disclosed, which comprises a co-polymer between (I) a resin containing phenolic groups and (II) an organopolysiloxane resin or silicone containing terminal silanol groups, a part of the phenolic groups being bound to the terminal silanol groups. Preferably, the reaction between (I) and (II) is made in the presence of an epoxy resin or an epoxidised organopolysiloxane.
As in the above document, the object of the invention is also to make the reaction between a phenolic resin and an organopolysiloxane or silicone resin follow a different way, resulting in a actual co-reaction or condensation between the phenolic groups and the silanols groups of the silicone in Sixe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C and Cxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C bonds. A part at least of the free phenolic groups of the starting phenolic are consumed in such bonds and will not longer be available for water absorption. The reaction product will loose its hydrophilic properties and the water which may come in contact with said product will not be absorbed, yielding a composition with improved friction properties even under wet conditions.